NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Brain "microbleeds," small
bleeding sites in the brain detected with MRI that usually
cause no immediate symptoms, are associated with an increase in
blood pressure in patients who already have high blood pressure
or "hypertension," new research suggests.

"Not only the heart and kidneys are important organs in
hypertension...but also the brain should be searched for
damage," including microbleeds, Dr. Leon H. G. Henskens told
Reuters Health, although he noted that "current guidelines do
not include the brain as a recommended target-organ."

As reported in the journal Hypertension, Henskens and
associates from Maastricht University assessed the relationship
between brain microbleeds visualized on MRI in 218 hypertensive
patients and blood pressure, which was measured while the
participants were off their blood pressure medications.

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At least one microbleed was detected in 35 participants
(16.1 percent), the authors report. Brain microbleeds were
associated with higher blood pressures, including those
recorded at night, the report indicates.

Henskens' group is currently performing a 2-year follow-up
of these patients to see if "treatment of hypertension
influences the occurrence of new microbleeds."